James Sheen is like a kid with a new toy.

East Anglian Daily Times: James Sheen is off to Portugal on Monday with press accreditation to cover the Eurovision Song Contest. Picture: GREGG BROWNJames Sheen is off to Portugal on Monday with press accreditation to cover the Eurovision Song Contest. Picture: GREGG BROWN

He’s so excited that the Eurovision super fan just can’t contain his enthusiasm for the contest which is coming up in Portugal in a few week’s time.

For he’s flying out to Lisbon on Monday to cover the 63rd outing of the event.

And for the first time ever he has got press accreditation to be closer to the action and get the chance to get up close and personal and interview the contestants.

“I was so overcome when I knew I’d got it that I was laughing and crying at the same time.

I couldn’t control myself ... this is the best thing. I will get a lot of access all round which means an awful lot to me,” said the man who runs the successful We Love Bury St Edmunds! Facebook page.

He obtained it through the French delegation after he met up with an official at a Eurovision party in London earlier this month.

“I met Edoardo Grassi who is the head of delegation for France and he said apply through France and I’ll put it through,” said James.

Having enjoyed the competition since 1972 he said Eurovision gives something different and even thought the final is not until May 12 he and his team will be there for two weeks, tweeting, writing articles and producing live video for his website ... escSocial along with YouTube.

They will see rehearsals from all 43 acts along with two semi finals and the main event which is being held at the Altice Arena in the Portugeuse capital.

And he has already picked the winner ... Australia. Not altogether European but the Australian public service media groups are associate members of The European Broadcasting Union which gaines them entry to the contest.

He thinks Jessica Mauboy’s “We Got Love” is likely to top the vote which means it could be Down Under for next year’s competition.

But watch out for his other top tips: France’s Madame Monsieur with “Mercy” and Estonia’s entry by Elina Nechayeva “La Forza” which comes complete with an eye-watering $65,000 computer generated dress.

And what of the United Kingdom’s entry by Surie entitled “Storm”?

“17th!” he says without a whiff of hesitation. “It’s a good song. It’s the best of the six songs that were up for it in February. But it’s a case of better songs. Europe comes up with better songs. We are on this island and we don’t listen to other songs we are a bit too insular.”

James is taking nine of his trademark waistcoats along with him for the trip including his St Edmundsbury version he had for last year’s St Edmund’s Day plus the St Edmund’s flag.

This will be his fifth Eurovision trip having done Dusseldorf in 2011, Vienna in 2015, Stockholm in 2016 and Ukraine last year.

To follow him go to www.escsocial.com